The Price of Fame
by ladyjadeite
Summary: When Cedric placed his name in the goblet, he didn't know what he was getting himself into. Cedric Diggory x Cho Chang. oneshot. cedriccho chocedric cedricxcho choxcedric cccd cdcc


**A/N:** This story takes place during Goblet of Fire.

0

"Okay, peoples!" A bright, sunny, and unfortunately hyper voice breaks through the commotion. "Look alive!"

Cedric, Fleur, Viktor, and Harry look at each other, at the woman bounding towards them, who is dragging a thinner more solemn man behind her, and then back to each other, exchanging surprised glances.

"Hello, everyone!" The woman says, pulling herself right in front of the group. "My name is Lola. Lola Copacabana. And I'll be your make-up artist today! And this is Tony, and he'll be taking your pictures."

She snorts a giggle, and raises her hand as if to excuse herself. "Ms. Skeeter is always on a time crunch, facing deadlines up the yin yang. So, before she comes, I have to make you all ready and beautiful."

She pulls out an artist palette from a carpetbag and taps her wand. "Now, don't be shy! Remember, you'll be taking many pictures with Ms. Skeeter and everyone who's anyone is going to be reading about you in The Daily Prophet. We have to make you look presentable."

"I am preezentable." Viktor crunches his words.

"Of course, you are, Mr. Krum. Do you mind if I call you 'Vik'?" Lola doesn't wait for an answer. "But bright lights and Ms. Skeeter's inscrutable gaze has made even the strongest wizards wither under the pressure. So, my job, Vik, is to make sure you all look wonderful!"

"How will our looking wonderful prevent us from withering from her gaze?" Harry asks.

"Too many questions, young man." Lola flips her hair. "Just go with it."

She flicks her wand at the four champions, highlighting Harry's scar, Cedric's cheekbones, Fleur's eyes, and Viktor's chin. They cough in unison as the smoke disappears.

"Now, smile, everyone!" Lola says. "Tony has to take some _before_ shots."

"Before?" Cedric raises his eyebrows. "Before what?"

"You'll see." Lola waves him off.

Snap! Poof! More smoke forms and each champion gets their picture taken solo and as a group. Afterward, they start coughing again. Lola looks pleased, since the make-up isn't running or smudging and each champion looks as beautiful as they did when she first waved her wand.

"My job is done!" Lola returns the palette back into the bag, and snaps it shut. "I'm off!"

"What about our make-up?" Cedric calls out.

"It'll stay during the entire interview." Lola grins.

"How do we get it off?" Harry asks.

Lola looks surprised at the question. She shrugs. "It'll wear off eventually."

With a wave, she exits. "Toodles!"

0

After the grueling - or is that too kind a word to use? - interview with Rita Skeeter, Cedric rushes out of the room. He can't get out of there fast enough, and he feels more sorry for Harry Potter, who is still being grilled.

Hogwarts students, not just Hufflepuffs, wave enthusiastically at him as he passes. He waves back but keeps his pace quick, darting between crowds, so no one can corner him into another congratulatory conversation. It isn't that he minds, and it isn't that he hates crowds. None of those would be true. He just... wants to relax a little.

No one notices when he slips into the library. The students there are buried in their assignments, and the door is quiet as it slides open and closed. He counts his steps, his eyes glancing over the marked plates on the bookcases, separating the alphabet into fractions.

He takes a step back, almost missing the girl he had been looking for. He pauses and smiles. Her entourage of girlfriends are no where to be found, and signs of them appearing (such as extra scrolls and robes) are nonexistent. The window casts a soft aura of light around her, framing her profile. Her back is to him, and a quill is tucked behind her hair. She turns the page in her book, fingers a line, and taps it. She takes her the quill, inks it, and jots down the answer on the parchment. Just as she dots a period, she yelps at him hugging her from behind.

"Cedric!" She scolds quietly. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Not the exact response I was looking for." He grins and kisses her on the cheek. He pulls out the chair next to her.

She smiles and squeezes his knee. "How was the interview?"

He shrugs and scoots closer, draping an arm across the back of her chair. "Tiring."

"Ah." She nods, resting her head under his chin. "Too tired to go for a walk?"

"Are you finished with..." He scans the parchment. "Your potions essay?"

"Just about." She smiles and rolls up the scroll.

"Then, let's go." He helps her cap her inkwell and dry her quill, before setting them into her bag. He stands, takes her bag, and pulls out her chair. She slips her hand in his and he leads her out of the library.

"Ready?" He asks. His eyes dart from side to side.

"For what?"

"Cedric!" A shriek of girls jump excitedly up and down.

"Run!" Cedric answers her, and they maneuver through the corridors dodging the packs approaching from left and right. They duck into an alcove, and Cedric pulls Cho into a protective embrace. They hold their breathes in the shadows as the crowd of girls pass. When it looks free and clear, Cedric gives a sigh of relief but keeps his arms around her waist. A giggle slips through her lips.

When he looks at her, she breaks into a smile. "My boyfriend wears more make-up than I do."

A blush spreads across his face and adds to his highlighted cheekbones. "Is it that obvious?"

He takes a hand and tries to rub his face with his sleeve. Nothing comes off. "They put this on for the pictures."

"Ah." She nods, understanding. He releases her and pulls out his wand.

"Scourgify!" He points at himself and a blast of soap and water hits him in the face. He gurgles in surprise, coughing and spewing bubbles.

Cho bursts out laughing, but quickly hides her laughter behind her hand. He gives her a dirty look, but starts laughing, then choking, then hiccuping himself. She pulls out her handkerchief and wipes his face.

"The spell should wear off in a day or two." She smiles.

"How do you know?"

"It's an ordinary spell." She shrugs. "Witches and wizards usually save it for special occasions, like weddings and debutante balls."

"You wouldn't by chance know the reverse spell...?" He stands patiently as she aims her wand at him and releases a drying spell for his clothes.

"Unfortunately, no." She pockets her wand and returns to the warmth of his arms. "Sorry. I guess I could go look it up."

"Nah... I'd rather you stay here with me." He answers with a half-hearted smile. "I suppose a day or two won't kill me."

"The price of fame." She laughs as she twines her fingers through his hair. "You'll just have to live with being called _Pretty Boy_ Diggory for a little while longer."

"'Pretty Boy' is just a tad better than being called the 'Perfect Prefect'." He says, and she smothers her laughter into his jumper.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing, Ms. Chang." He tips her chin upward.

"'Perfect Prefect Pretty Boy Diggory'?" She smirks. "It's a tongue twister."

"I'd rather find a better use for your tongue." He feels her smile under his lips, and deepens their kiss.

_Snap! Poof!_ They turn, surprised to see Rita and Tony next to them.

"There you are!" Rita exclaims. But with one look at Cho, and the scene, she scrunches her nose and turns to her cameraman. "Eh! No one wants to see teenage lovebirds. It's not exciting enough. Unless it's controversial like Harry Potter. Where is he? Let's go look for him!"

With that, they scamper off. Cedric and Cho exchange looks before they start laughing between themselves. Cedric grins mischievously at Cho. "Not exciting enough? I'll take that as a challenge."

He pulls her back into his arms and kisses her fully before she can object. He takes her happy sigh as permission to continue and they edge back into the shadows of the alcove to continue their teenage lovebird scene in private. _Ah! The benefits of not being Harry Potter._

End.


End file.
